Southern College of Optometry
Memphis, TN
Optometry Schools | Private Non-Profit
⭐ Overall Impressions ▼
How did the interview impress you?
Most respondents felt positively about their interview.
What was the stress level of the interview?
Most respondents rated their interview as low stress.
How you think you did?
Most respondents thought they performed well at the interview.
How do you rank this school among ALL other schools?
Most respondents rank this school above all other schools.
How do you rank this school among other schools to which you've applied?
Most respondents rank this school above other schools they applied to.
0 = Below, 10 = Above
💬 Interview Questions ▼
What is one of the specific questions they asked you?
The most commonly asked interview questions at medical schools include inquiries about the applicant's background, experiences in optometry, motivations for pursuing the field, leadership skills, challenges faced by optometrists, and future of optometry. Some respondents mentioned an MMI format, indicating a structured interview process with questions that may be subject to a nondisclosure agreement.
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What are your hobbies?
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Why Optometry?
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What is your experience in the field of optometry?
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Why SCO?
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How do you see optometry changing in the future?
What was the most interesting question?
Students said most interesting question asked at Southern College of Optometry discussed a wide range of topics, including personal struggles, future concerns in optometry, favorite hobbies, and potential issues within the profession. While the responses varied, there was no prominent mention of an MMI format or nondisclosure agreements in the interview process.
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How many credit hours do you typically take in a semester?
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What do you feel you struggle with the most/need to work the most on regarding yourself?
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What is an issue within optometry?
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What do you like about your hobbies?
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Do you foresee any problems/issues with the profession of optometry in the future (in regards to technology, etc.)?
What was the most difficult question?
Students said most difficult question asked at Southern College of Optometry discussed various topics including contributions to optometry, optometry legislation, challenges and future issues in the field, relationships between optometrists and ophthalmologists, and awareness of current legislation. The interviews may have been in an MMI format with nondisclosure agreements, as some responses alluded to specific questions without explicit details.
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No difficult questions were asked, all were very general and broad.
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How would you contribute/make a difference within optometry?
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Optometry Legislation in TN
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None they were all straightforward
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No question was difficult it was very conversational and straightforward
🤝 Interview Format and Logistics ▼
How long was the interview?
Most respondents had an interview of 30 - 40 minutes.
How many people interviewed you?
Most respondents were interviewed by 1 person.
What was the style of the interview?
Most respondents had a one-on-one interview.
What type of interview was it?
Most respondents had a closed file interview.
Was this interview in-person or virtual?
Most respondents had a virtual interview.
Data includes both pre- and post-COVID interviews.
Where did the interview take place?
Most respondents were interviewed at the school.
📍 On-Site Experience ▼
Who was the tour given by?
Tours were most commonly given by a Student
How did the tour guide seem?
Most tour guides were enthusiastic about the school.
How do you rank the facilities?
Most respondents rank the facilities as above average.
What is your in-state status?
Most respondents rank the facilities as below average.
What were your total hours spent traveling?
Most respondents spent 7+ hours traveling to the interview.
What was your primary mode of travel?
Most respondents traveled by automobile to the interview.
About how much did you spend on room, food, and travel?
Most respondents spent more than $500.
What airport did you fly into?
Respondents who flew to the interview generally used Memphis International Airport (MEM)
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mem
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SEATAC
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Memphis International Airport
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Memphis International
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Memphis
Where did you stay?
Most respondents stayed either Hotel or at a hotel.
What is the name of the hotel you stayed in?
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The Memphian
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River Inn
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Red Roof Inn
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Motel 6
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Knights Inn
How would you rate the hotel?
Most respondents rated their hotel as good.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
Would you recommend the hotel?
Most respondents would recommend their hotel.
What is your ranking of this school's location?
Most respondents rate the school location as good.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
What is your ranking of this area's cultural life?
Most respondents rate the area’s cultural life as good.
0 = Bad, 10 = Great
What are your comments on where you stayed?
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The hotel is scuffed. I would only recommend staying there the night before the interview. If you are staying longer, find a different place to stay. It's walking distance from the campus, but it was definitely shady.
✅ Interview Preparation and Impressions ▼
How is the friendliness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was friendly.
How is the responsiveness of the admissions office?
Most respondents said the admissions office was responsive.
How did you prepare for the interview?
Applicants commonly prepared for the interview by researching common interview questions from forums like SDN, practicing responses, and preparing questions to ask the interviewer. They also sought advice from optometrists, reviewed their application materials, and conducted mock interviews to simulate the experience.
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I made a Google Doc with all of the common interview questions from SDN, Reddit, ChatGPT (to generate some questions), etc and made brief responses about what I wanted to convey from my answers. I also had a list of questions prepared to ask the interviewer.
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Look at this forums questions and answered those questions on a separate document prior to my interview.
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I watched a video about interviewing by SCO on YouTube. I just looked up interview questions and answered as many as I could in bullet form on a document.
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SDN
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Just a good night’s sleep.
What impressed you positively?
Applicants were consistently impressed by the warm and welcoming atmosphere at the school, noting the friendliness of staff, faculty, and current students. The sense of community, personalized interactions, and state-of-the-art facilities, particularly the Eye Center, were highlighted as key positive aspects that made a lasting impression on applicants.
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I liked how community-oriented the school is. Every student was familiar with the staff and it was very welcoming. The campus is generally well-known for their culture, and it is a big selling point for their school.
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The friendliness of everyone I met at the college, plenty of southern hospitality to go around.
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Due to Covid, I can only reflect on the interview and not the campus tour yet; however, it was very pleasant and the interviewers are friendly.
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Every single person was warm and welcoming! It felt very much like everyone was a part of one big family.
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Everybody on staff, top to bottom, was extremely warm and nice. The facility beautiful and state-of-the-art.
What impressed you negatively?
Overall, applicants commonly expressed concerns about the safety and appearance of the city of Memphis, particularly the neighborhood surrounding the school. Suggestions included improving communication about safety precautions and highlighting the positive aspects of the city to balance the negative perceptions.
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The surrounding area is not the best part of town. However, the school does take security very seriously. The school itself is safe but not the area it's in.
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Nothing, everything went pretty smoothly.
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It was kind of intimidating since it was online. I felt that I had to keep talking to prevent long pauses. Also, I felt like it was less conversational and more like question-after-question.
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nothing
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The building is old on the outside but inside makes up for it, it is clean and is more updated
What did you wish you had known ahead of time?
Applicants commonly wished they had known to be more prepared for the interview, but not to stress as much as it's more of a personality test. They also highlighted the importance of wearing comfortable shoes for the long tour and eating a substantial breakfast if the interview is in the morning.
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I wish I had been a little more prepared beforehand. The interviewer didn't ask any difficult questions, but I was more nervous because I didn't prepare as much as I wanted to.
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Not to stress as much about the interview, it is more of a personality test more than anything. The school wants to see that you are passionate about the field of optometry
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Nothing.
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Don’t wear heels all day because you’ll probably get blisters after walking around the campus.
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Eat a sizeable breakfast if you have a morning interview. You don’t eat again until after 1:00.
What are your general comments?
Applicants commonly shared feedback that the interview process at the school was relaxed, conversational, and focused on the applicants' genuine interest in optometry. They emphasized the friendly and welcoming environment at the school, as well as the importance of being oneself during the interview to make a positive impression.
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I enjoyed my visit, wish I could have stayed in Memphis longer to check out the city more. Overall great experience for my first interview.
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I felt that it went smoother because I knew it was more of a personality assessment, but definitely recommend doing your research about potential questions and the program specifically.
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The SCO interview and facility really are impressive. More than that though they treat you like family there.
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Lots of good southern hospitality
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I thought that the interview went well. It should not be something that you would have to prepare extensively for. If preparation is done, though, I would recommend one mock interview, thinking about your reason for becoming an optometrist, and looking over your application (so you are prepared when they review your file after the one-on-one interview). Also, I would recommend researching some things about optometry currently to make sure you are up-to-date on it.
What are your suggestions for the admissions office?
Applicants overwhelmingly praised the admissions office for their excellent communication, friendliness, and personalized approach. Many suggested they continue their great work, with a few minor suggestions such as providing breakfast during interview days.
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None, great job all around
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They're super on top of it!
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Maybe a small breakfast. But other than that the interview day was fantastic.
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None, I had a great experience
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I thought they did an excellent job.
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